Author: Lepeletier, 1841

Type species: Dufourea minuta Lepeletier, 1841, by designation of Richards, 1935: 172.
Synonyms: Halictoides Nylander, 1848; Conohalictoides Viereck, 1904; Neohalictoides Viereck, 1904; Cryptohalictoides Viereck, 1904; Mimulapis Bridwell, 1919; Betheliella Cockerell, 1924.
Clade: Anthophila
Family: Halictidae
Subfamily: Rophitinae
Tribe: Rophitini
Distinctive traits
  • Small dark bees, sometimes with metallic colors
  • 2 submarginal cells
  • Short clypeus so that antennae are inserted below the middle of the eyes
  • Rounded scutellum as long as or shorter than the propodeal horizontal area.
Pictures of distinctive traits.
Morphologically close genera and how to distinguish them
  • Dufourea - Rophites & Rophitoides
Dufourea species have no abdominal hairs band, and a propodeal horizontal area longer than the scutellum and posteriorly rounded.
Rophites &Rophitoides species have abdominal hairs bands and a propodeal horizontal area shorter than the scutellum and forming a clear angle with the posterior face of the propodeum.
General comments on Dufourea species identification
Species identification involves criteria of mouthparts, as well as punctation on the thorax and first abdominal tergite, so the mandibles and wings should be opened a bit. Males antennae, median legs and last sternites should also be made visible.
Sorry, but the species identification tool is not yet available for Dufourea. 
Please check the reference(s) below for traditional keys.
List of the 20 Dufourea species found in Europe (IUCN 2014 + Rasmont et al 2017):
Dufourea (Dufourea) alpina Morawitz, 1865
Dufourea (Dufourea) balearica Ebmer, 2015
Dufourea (Dufourea) coeruleocephala Morawitz, 1872
Dufourea (Dufourea) cypria Mavromoustakis, 1952
Dufourea (Dufourea) dentiventris (Nylander, 1848)
Dufourea (Dufourea) fortunata Ebmer, 1994
Dufourea (Dufourea) gaullei Vachal, 1897
Dufourea (Dufourea) graeca Ebmer, 1976
Dufourea (Dufourea) halictula (Nylander, 1852)
Dufourea (Dufourea) inermis (Nylander, 1848)
Dufourea (Dufourea) iris Ebmer, 1987
Dufourea (Dufourea) longiglossa Ebmer, 1993
Dufourea (Dufourea) lusitanica Ebmer, 1999
Dufourea (Dufourea) merceti Vachal, 1907
Dufourea (Dufourea) minuta Lepeletier, 1841
Dufourea (Dufourea) paradoxa (Morawitz, 1867)
Dufourea (Dufourea) similis Friese, 1898
Dufourea (Dufourea) styx (Ebmer, 1976)
Dufourea (Dufourea) trautmanni Dusmet y Alonso, 1935
Dufourea (Dufourea) wolfi Ebmer, 1989

References with identification keys for some of the species:
  • Ebmer A.W. 1993. Die westpaläarktischen Arten der Gattung Dufourea Lepeletier 1841 mit illustrierten Bestimmungstabellen. (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae: Dufoureinae). Linzer Biologische Beitrage, 25 (1): 15-42.
  • Amiet F., Müller A. & Neumeyer R.,1999. Apidae 2: Colletes, Dufourea, Hylaeus, Nomia, Nomioides, Rhophitoides, Rophites, Sphecodes, Systropha (Fauna Helvetica 4). Centre suisse de cartographie de la faune (CSCF), Neuchâtel, 239 pp.
  • Pesenko, Y.A., Banaszak, J., Radchenko, V.G. & Cierzniak, T. 2000. Bees of the family Halictidae (excluding Sphecodes) of Poland. Bydgoszcz. 348pp.
  • Falk S.J. (2015) Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland. Bloomsbury wildlife guides. 432 p.
Online resources:
Atlas hymenoptera (Europe & Belgium)
BWARS (UK)
Discover Life (World)
WestPalBees (West Palearctic)
Page contributors:
  • Adrien Perrard (Dec. 2019)

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References used to write this page:
  • Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World, 2nd Edition. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
  • Michez D., Rasmont P., Terzo, M., Vereecken, N. 2019. Abeilles d'Europes. Hymenoptères d'Europes, Volume 1. N.A.P. Editions.
  • Nieto, A., Roberts, S. P., Kemp, J., Rasmont, P., Kuhlmann, M., García Criado, M., ... & Michez, D. 2014. European red list of bees. Luxembourg: Publication Office of the European Union, 98.
  •  Rasmont, P., Devalez, Jelle, Pauly, A., Michez, D. & Radchenko, V.G. 2017. Addition to the checklist of IUCN European wild bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Annales de la Société entomologique de France 53: 17-32.